《Sacrifice》The Visit
Advertisement
"Mr. Michael Strong?" the receptionist asked the man in front of her desk.
"Yes, Ma’am, I am Michael Strong," the man said.
"It is good to have you here, Mr. Strong," the receptionist said with a smile. “I believe you would like to meet with Dr. Richard?”
“Michael nodded. “Yes, please.”
"You are very brave and kind to do this,” she said.
Michael took his eyes off her face which glowed with admiration. He bit the inside of his lip, uncomfortable at the praise.
"Thank you," Michael said, scratching his jaw. He felt a short stubble on his chin. He thought to cut it but didn’t feel much inclined. "When do I meet the family though?"
"Today actually," the receptionist said. "They are waiting on the second floor. Please take the stairs and then go right and into Dr. Richard's office. You won’t miss it."
"Thank you," Michael said. "And good day to you."
Michael said his goodbyes and navigated the halls. The hospital was a large building, and a sharp medicinal smell permeated throughout the place. People moved to and fro—nurses, patients, and doctors. Every day sick people entered the hospital, and while many left healed, some weren’t so fortunate.
Michael found the staircase where a bright beam of light intruded through a window above the first set of stairs. He kept his eyes on the steps as he ascended them and found himself a little out of breath when he reached the second floor. He looked around and saw nobody was looking at him.
Michael took a right to another set of halls. He gave a look at the epitaphs above the rooms. He happened upon an open one and over it, it said:
Dr. Richard Hendricks, Surgeon
Inside he saw three people were seated—the good doctor at his desk, and a man and woman across him.
"Thank you so so much, Mister," the woman said holding Michael’s hands. "You don't know what you have done for us, or for our sweet Ana." Her cheeks were stained with tears, but she smiled beautifully. Michael’s heart was filled with sympathy.
Advertisement
Michael searched for words to speak. What could he say to alleviate a pain as deep as her’s? But before he could, the man spoke with a hard glare in his eyes.
"I hope you are not lying coming to here," the man said. "You mustn’t think this as a joke, boy. My daughter is everything to us and God bless if you—"
"Hush, Thomas," the woman said, glaring at her husband and then returned her gaze back to Michael. "I apologize for my husband here. He is very worried for Ana. You must understand what we are going through."
"I understand," Michael said. "I can see she means a lot to you”—He met Thomas’ eyes—“I am not lying. I am going to do it.”
When Michael made his remark, Thomas’ eyes softened and he looked very tired. His whole demeanor changed and he looked an old person.
"Thank you, Michael," He said in a soft voice.
Dr. Richard asked the couple to wait outside. He said he wanted to have a private conversation with Michael. The couple left with a polite nod towards Michael. As they left, Dr. Richard closed the door shut and then sat at his desk. Michael felt a little nervous when he took a seat opposite him.
They sat in silence for a few seconds as if both didn’t know what to speak to the other. Michael would not dare break the silence. Michael observed the doctor. Dr. Richard appeared a little shorter than him, had graying hair, and trimmed spectacles. He wore the doctor's white coat and adorned a stethoscope around this neck. He looked a typical physician and Michael was certain about it, a learned man.
Dr. Richard was the one to break the monotony.
"Michael, do you know what you are doing?" Dr. Richard asked.
"Yes, doctor," Michael said. "I am donating my organs."
"Do you understand it will kill you?"
Advertisement
"Yes," Michael said without any hesitation. "I am willing."
Another silence filled the space. Dr. Richard stared at Michael as if trying to find a hint of fear in him. Would he call it off if he found Michael uncertain?
But Michael sat there with a determined face and nothing else.
"Wow," the doctor said, raising his eyebrows in a troubled expression. "You are serious about this. A reason why I didn’t want to talk it over the phone."
"Yes, doctor," Michael said. "I have said yes many times now."
"I did not mean to question you—alright, I did mean to question you. This is a very heavy subject, Michael and you are young," Dr. Richard said.
"I am twenty-one."
"Twenty-one is young. You haven't even started living properly yet."
"I think I have it better. Many people can't live their life. Ana being a prime example."
"Yes, but there are reasons for it."
"I have my reasons too," Michael pointed out.
"Are you doing this cause you don't want to live?"
"…If I am?"
"Sorry, that was, that was rude," Michael said, a bad taste in his mouth.
Michael rubbed his face at his own behavior. He knew he should not be talking to doctors in such a harsh tone. The doctor was looking out for him. He was just very much annoyed at being repeatedly questioned about his decision.
"No, it's ok," Dr. Richard said. "It is just that we haven't done this kind of surgery before."
Dr. Richard stood up and walked towards the window, looking out. "Our job is to protect human life. Of course, there is always an uncertainty that they will die," he sighed and turned to Michael. "But Michael, you will die."
Michael said nothing but just looked at him. Dr. Richard sat again and pulled out a file.
"Let me tell you the gist of it," Dr. Richards said. "You, Henry Strong, age 21, male, will be donating your heart, liver and a lobe of your lung for one Ana Fortier, age 19, female."
Michael nods.
"As you will a single donor, there is the case that there will be a lesser chance of rejection. But it will be very risky. It can fail. You will die in either case. So I need you to at least think this through."
"I may die," Michael said. "But I may, just maybe, be able to save her."
Dr. Richard sighed and gave a tight smile. He thought he could scare Michael or make him see a reason he might have left, but he was wrong. He pulled out a number of papers from the file.
"These are the papers I need you to sign," Dr. Richard said. "They tell that you are doing this at your own sane and conscious volition, have accepted to the donor screenings which basically will be to test if you have diseases, and that is basically it. You need to bring your next of kin."
"That won't be necessary," Michael said and started to read the papers.
"No, it is. Your next of kin is there to vouch for your history and collect your donor pay."
"I have a doctor with my full history," Michael said.
"Ok then, who receives the money?"
"Charity," Michael said, making Dr. Richard raised his eyebrow in question. "My parents are dead."
Advertisement
Indestructible God King
Wang Ke is a money driven merchant who happens to have knowledge from modern-day Earth. He navigates through life with brilliant mind games, a silver tongue, a «uniquely powerful» energy technique, and a fair bit of luck. Having rescued and escorted an influential princess back to the Heavenly Wolf Sect earns him the privilege of becoming the Sect Lord’s disciple, who in turn would become his business backing and the dispeller of a curse which haunted him. However, this newfound position dragged him into conflicts with both the righteous and the demonic sects.He travels through those troubled waters with his craftiness, fooling both factions and in the process attaining prominent positions on the two sides. After all was said and done, money was still his top priority! Making money with Earth’s modern ways! How will this money-grubbing fellow influence the righteous and demonic balance, and the fate of the entire world?
8 334The Legendary Hoarder (VRMMORPG)
Synopsis: With his families debt accruing more interest than he can pay off, Axel decides to put on the VR helmet in a desperate attempt to pay it off. He soon realises that making money illegally in a game is far easier than real life. With his experience in accounting, he tries almost anything to fill his pockets with gold without drawing too much attention. However, his young, joyful self who enjoyed playing in VR, is no longer around. He's rude, crude, and his name is Axel Smudge, AKA The Hoarder; he's going to shake the pockets of every player he passes.
8 115Nobody's Way
Foreign Thorn: Book 1 For eight centuries, the people of Isla have wanted for nothing. The Creator, Maere, uses Her power not only to keep them healthy and fed, but also to map the direction of each person's future Path - their vocation, role in society, and even the partner they'll spend their life with. In a world where infighting once threatened the very survival of humankind, the old texts say that Maere personally stepped in to help guide Her creations to harmony. All is not well among the people of the northern lands, however, as Jian discovers when she receives her own long-awaited Path. The Creator has chosen to favour some towns, but not others, leading to anarchy and unrest in the east, and fierce distrust between the neighbours who enjoy Her protection and those who don't. After many nights of disturbing premonitions, visions of a face uncannily familiar to her, and a voice beckoning her to "Homeland," Jian decides she needs to find answers for herself. She hires Madrigal, a surly young traveller hailing from an "unblessed" village, to take her to the southern lands. The swordsman is on the run from something, or someone, but Jian has no choice but to trust him. When the two leave the safety of the familiar and meet Quinn, a mysterious boy who seems to know more about Jian than she does about herself, it becomes clear that there are forces besides the old magics, forces completely unknown to the people of Isla, in play. Madrigal and Jian aren't sure if Quinn can be trusted, but they're certain he knows more than he's letting on...
8 101Rimward Bound
Every citizen of the sky-cities of His Majesty's Star-Empire knows that a ship, both sky- and star-, is more then just a few bits of metal. It is the grand sum of it's hull and the crew that sail it. 'Hulls of battle-steel and men to match!' That's what the Navy's recruitment poster's claim at least. Every sailor knows that there is one more component that the city-bound folk ignore at their own peril: the soul of the ship. That it takes both man and hull to make a true ship, and that neither alone serve well or for long. In 8225 Lord Jeffrye Saltonstall the Fourth, Political Lord of the Surveyor's Corps, demands semi-automated ships to 'reduce the loss of life among our brave crews', manages to convince the other politicians and bureaucrats to fund them, and gets the Office of Ship Construction to sign off on the ships as structurally sound. Dockyard workers shake their heads at the ships, muttering that they are cursed from birth, even as construction drags on. In 8230 the Explorer, first of her class, is launched. She sets out in 8233 to great fanfare on a trip expected to last six months. Neither she nor her twelve-person crew is ever heard from again. By 8235, the remaining seven Explorers are are commissioned. Lord Saltonstall managed to find crews for six of them but at the cost of mass resignations. The Night Horse, last of the Explorer class, sat in reserve as her sister-ships served well enough despite ill luck and misfortune. The Office of Ship Construction quietly issues notice that no more semi-automated ships are to be built and that all active Semi-automated ships are to be quietly retired and broken up for scrap over the next ten years. The Night Horse, sitting in reserve, is missed due to bureaucratic oversight. In 8250 Lord Ayland Wynstryngham the Eighth assumes the office of Political Lord of the Surveyor's Corps. His first act is to issue notice that no ship is to be without crew nor sit in dock or reserve for longer then required for maintenance and upkeep. The Night Horse, all but forgotten, is quietly brought back into active service. Recruiting a crew for her proves another matter entirely. What poor or desperate fool would willingly sign on to crew, much less command, a cursed ship and spend months or years in deep space? Well, you would, of course. Where else is a kid from the gutters going to find that kind of freedom in the service of His Majesty? A [participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge] 2021. Warnings: Second person is used in this work. Semi-Polished draft: Posted chapters are subject to revision as needed as things progress. Mild Profanity on occasion.
8 57Ballerina Boy
Larry Stylinson Story (Completed) This is a story where a ballerina meets a fucked up quarterback. Rated R: language, drugs, violence, and sexual content Enjoy ;) (credit to the manip: larryspineapples)
8 80cRaCkHeAdS | BNHA Chatfic
In which Reader downloads an app about talking to NPCs disguised as different fandom characters, but what happens when they seem a bit too real? ••~KEY~♡ - Main Storyline ∇ - One-Off Pieces ◇ - Contextual One-Off Pieces
8 220